The present invention relates generally to genealogy and more particularly to computer-based genealogy investigation tools.
Genealogy is an enjoyable hobby to some and an important life's work to many. Whether for cultural, religious, recreational or other reasons, many people wish to trace their ancestry.
The process of genealogy investigation has evolved considerably over the years. In the past, the practice involved keeping notes in family bibles handed down through the generations, and many continue to do this today. Not very long ago, the process often required traveling to the hometowns of ancestors to pore over public records, newspapers, and the like at courthouses, libraries, and such. Once found, family information was written into journals and notebooks or onto index cards. Because of the geometric expansion of information with each generation, analyzing the information became a daunting task. The advent of computers, however, has created significant opportunities for improving and simplifying the process.
Many public records are now accessible using a computer and the Internet, thus allowing investigators to search electronically using keywords and such without having to travel to where the original records are kept. Additionally, several public and private efforts to collect and catalog genealogy data have resulted in publicly accessible databases with much of the work already complete. Further still, some companies have produced commercial web sites where individuals can cooperate to extend a common family tree. Some examples of each include: <www.archives.gov>, the US National Archives and Record Administration website; <www.familysearch.org>, the LDS Church Family Search website; <www.ancestry.com>, the Ancestry.com website, which includes the Ancestry World Tree; <www.genealogy.com>, the Genealogy.com website, which (includes the World Family Tree); <www.ellisisland.org>, which includes immigration records; <www.interment.net>, which includes Cemeteries and Cemetery Records; <www.rootsweb.com>, which includes World Connect; <www.onegreatfamily.com>, the One Great Family website; <www.MyTrees.com>; and <www.GenCircles.com>. In fact, the process has become so popular that a standard data format has evolved.
GEDCOM (Genealogical Data Communication) is an industry standard data format for genealogical information. It uses a standard ASCII file format in which each line contains one data element. [A complete description of the GEDCOM file format is available at <www.gendex.com/gedcom55/55gcint.htm>, the content of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.] Many genealogy investigation services now collect and distribute data using the GEDCOM standard.
Despite the technological advances—or in some cases because of the technological advances—relating to genealogy, the activity remains ripe for improvement. One significant limitation that exists in many “open” genealogy investigation tools (i.e., those that allow independent users to submit data), is a bias in favor of the information submitted by the most recent submitter. Because of the way data is related within these systems, data conflicts are difficult to resolve. The problem is rectified by allowing the latest submitter to overwrite conflicting data submitted by a previous user. This is but one example of the many limitations of presently-available genealogy investigation tools. Embodiments of the present invention address these and many other limitations.